Combination lock



1935- H. F. TEICHMANN 1,986,125

COMBINATION LOCK INVENTOR Patented Jan. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,986,125 COMBINATION LOCK Henry F. 'I eichmann, Washington, Pa. Application November 29, 1933, serial No. 700,263

q 10 Claims. (01. 70-54) My invention relates to a combinationlock, a lock, that is to say, which maybe opened without the aid of a key.

The object of the invention is to provide a combination lock of simplified-construction, a

lock both economical to manufacture andcertain in operation, a lock which is'of compact unit construction, adapting'it for ready installation in the doors'of hotel rooms, and the doors of ordinary homes In providing a combina tion lock for such a wide field of service, I have aimed at a structure which in operation is quick to the touch of authorized persons and, yet, a lock which is relatively difiicult for unauthorized persons to open. In further accord with the invention, I have provided acombination lock whose combination'mayfunden the control of a master key, "be readily and inla,moment changed, thereby providing a lock particularly lock.

- A look embodying the invention is shown the accompanying drawings. Fig. I isfa view in side elevation of a door equipped with.the lock. Fig. II is a fragmentary view, showing in elevation the edge of. the door and the: visible portions of thelock installed therein. Fig.

III is a view inside elevation iand to larger scale of the lock unit removed from thedoor. Fig. IV is a sectional view of the lock unit, taken on the plane IVIV of Fig. 111; the unit is" shown in position in the door, and the internal lock elements are omitted. Fig. V is a diagrammatic view of the two groups of pushbuttons with which the lock is provided. Fig. VI is a View partly in verticalsection andpartly in elevation of the lock structure. Fig. VII is a sectional view of the lock, to larger scale, taken on the plane VII-VII'of Fig. VI. Fig. VIII is a fragmentary view, showingto larger scale a modification in detail. Fig. IX is a sectional View on the plane IXIX of Fig. VI, showing: to larger scale a detail in construction. Fig. X is a fragmentary view of the front or exposed end of the lock structure, showing themeans by.

and Fig. XIV is a fragmentary View, showing in section certain details in construction, the line X[VXIV in Fig; III indicating the plane of section. v

' The lock comprises a rectangular housing 1 of relatively narrow width. The housing may bepressedin halves of sheet metal, or it may be cast in two parts and assembled over the lock mechanism presently to be described. The housing 1 includes a face plate portion 2 through which the lock bolt 3 extends; in service the lock structure is fitted in an appropriate recess in the door D, and the face plate 2 is inset in the face edge of the door and secured by means of screws 4 in the usual manner (Fig. II). On the inner and outer faces of the door D, overlying the installed lock structure, es? cutcheons 5 and 6 are secured, and door knobs or handles 7 and 8 are mounted on the operating shaft 9 of the look, as will be fully described below. The lock structure includes two groups R and S of push -buttonssixteen buttons in each group; The housing 1 is provided with a shallow recess 10; the push-buttons extend through the wall laof the recess, and terminate at their outer ends in. substantially common plane with the. main wall portion 1b ofithe housing. As may beseen in Fig. IV, the outer es'cutcheon '6 of the assembled structurev is windowed at.

llpwhich window lies in registry with the recess 10," and is provided with a flap cover 12 that. is pivotally secured at 13 to the escutcheon. The flap-cover 12- is normally held in closed position. (of. Figs. II and IV) by means of a spring 14, serving 'to enclose the two groups of push-buttons R, 'S, and .to lend'to the structure as a' whole a pleasing appearance.

In considering the operation of the lock in general, it will be understood that, for the lock bolt 3 to respond to the outside or outer knob 8, a predetermined button in group R must be depressed jointly with a predetermined button in group -S. For convenience in designating the lock-operating combination, the buttons in group R are numbered consecutively from 1 to 16, while 7 the buttons in group S bear the characters from A to P (cf. Fig. V). Assuming the combination of the lock to be 1A, the user will raise the flap cover 12, depress simultaneously buttons 1 and A, and, while holding these two buttons depressed, will turn the outer ,knob 8; to open the door.

In the present case, I have employed sixteen push-buttons in each group, and manifestly it is theoretically possible for the lock to be operaclip or holder for cards, mail, or papers; that is,

the cover 12 may be swung to the dotted line position, and caused, under the influence of spring 14 (Fig. IV), to secure such articles upon; the door. Accordingly, the flap cover 12 of double utility.

Turning now to Fig. VI, the details of my simplified combination lock will be described. The lock bolt 3 is slidable between door-locking and door-releasing positions in away 15. The bolt 3 is provided with a shoulder 3a, and a compression spring 16 is organized in usual manner.

to resist inward movement of the bolt and normally to maintain the bolt .outward in doorlatching position. Atits inner end the bolt 3 is slotted, and connected by a pin 17 tothe distal end of an arm 18 which is pivotally secured to the housing 1, at 19. Upon a pin 20 a plate 21' is mounted for angular movement; the plate 21 is perforated with holes 22 which are disposed in plan in identical correspondence with the arrangement of the push-buttons in group R; a link 23 interconnects the arm 18 and theplate 21, so that, when the plate swings .counterclock wise in the plane of its extent upon the pin 20, the links 23, 18 effectv the inward movement'of the bolt. A second plate, 24, is mounted upon the pin 20 and is adapted to move in-parallelism.

with the orificed plate 21. The plate 24 embodies a plurality of plungers 25 which is diagrammatically indicated by the shaded circles in Fig. For reasons presently'to appear, the planarrangement of the plungers in plate 24 is insuch variance with the arrangement. of the push-buttons in group R. (and with the similar arrangement of the orifices 22 in plate 21) that of all the plungers carried by plate 24 onlyone, say, normally lies in alignment with one of the orifices 22 and its associated push-button. In Fig. VI the upper, left-hand plunger (25a) inthe plate is shown to lie in such registry or alignment'with the number 1 push-button of group R (Fig. V) By depressing such numberl pushbutton, the plunger 25a isprojectedj into the orifice in plate 21 aligned therewith, whereby the ton A of. group S, so that, by depressing such button A, the plunger 250a is projected into the orifice 220a of plate 210 (cf. Fig. XI for detail), and the plates 210 and 240 movement.

The plate 210 is connected by a link 26 to an arm 27, which is secured to a fixed pivot'28; the distal end of arm 27 is connected by a link 29 are united for joint,

with the distal end of an arm 30 which is secured to the operating shaft 9' of the look. A spring 31 is effective normally to hold the arm 27 and its associated links in the illustrated position, the swinging terminal of arm 27 being held in abutment with a stop 32. Means interconnect the two plates 24 and 240, so that the clockwise turning of the outer door knob 8, and in consequence the turning of shaft 9, effects the joint counterclockwise swinging of the two pairs of plates, 210, 240 and 21, 24, and manifestly such counterclockwise turning of the plate 21, eifects the withdrawal or inward movement of the lock bolt 3 to open the door. The means for so interconnecting the plates 240, 24 comprisea' stem 33 which is supported for axial movement in the housing 1. At its right-hand end (Fig. VI), the stem 33 is slidably supported by a'bearing 34, while at its left end the shaft is united in a ball-and-socket joint with a shaft 35 which is slidably supported in a block 36 rigidly fixed to the housing 1. Each of plates 24, 240 is provided with a yoke 37, embracing a block .38 fixed on stem 33, and each yoke is secured by a pin-an'd-slot union with its associated' block 38. A collar 39 is secured upon shaft .35, and this collar carries a finger 40 which is held toabutment with the block 36 by a compressionspring41. The spring 41 normallyholds the finger 40 in engagement with the block 36, whereby the stem 33 is held in such position that (due to the pin-and-yoke connections 37, 38) the plates 24, 240 each lie in. predetermined relation to its complementary orificed plate (21, 210). Accordingly, the critical push-buttons (in this case the push-buttons 1 and A) are properly aligned with the plungers 25a, 250a, .so?that, by-depressing such two pushbuttonsythe platesZl, 24. and-210, 240 become united for joint angular movement. When these said plates'are so united, the clockwise rotation of the shaft:9 .(efiected by turning the outer door knob "8) manifestly produces the joint counterclockwise swinging of the plates 210, 240, which swinging effects the right-to-left shifting of the stem 33 against the resistance of spring 41- and an accompanying counterclockwise turning of the plates 21, 24. Thus, by means of linkage 23,'18,.-the lock bolt 3 is withdrawn against the resistance of spring 16, and the door in which the lock is -installedmay be opened. Upon release of the door knob, the springs 16,

31 and 41 restore the parts to their initial posi- -ed as described above, no provision being made for changing the combination of buttons, to admit of .operation of the lock. However, I contemplate that in hotels in particular it may be desirable often to change the locks combination, and, to this end, I provide a dial head 42 in a chamber 43 within the frontal plate 2 of the housing 1. The dial head 42 is secured to the one terminal of a pin 44 which extends with sliding fit into the shaft 35; the pin 44 is equipped with a key 45 lying in an elongate slot 46 formed in the shaft 35; and the engagement between the pin'44 and shaft 35 is obviously such that the shaft may move axially when the stem 33 shifts during lock operation. In my changeable combination lock the abutment between the finger 40 and the block 36 is of an adjustable nature. That is to say, the block 36 is provided with a plurality of radially arranged slots 47; as may be observed in Fig. VI, these slots are graduated fdeptlt tand "thefinger 40 is adapted to nest in one oithe-slots, and. at its s end abuts the bottom or end wall 'oi the slot.

By Iplacingthefinger 40 in one or another-of the slots 47 which, ashas been already indicated, are of graduated depth, the'initial or dormant positions of the shaft and stem 33'may'be regulated. Accordingly, -"the initial or dormant positions of the plates 24,240 maybe varied with respect to the orificed plates21, 210 respectively, and one or another of each set .of .plungers 25, 250 may be brought into registry. with one or another of the push buttons ineachgroup' R, S respectively, and with the corresponding orifices 22, 220 of each of the"plates21, 210 which lie in alignment with the:particularfpush-buttons. Thus, inadjusting the collar 39;.angularly, and in selectively positioning the finger 4Gin'one or another of the 'slots 47, the push-button of each group which is effective in look operation may be changed, so altering the combination'oi the lock.

, Toaccomplish such altering of the combina--v tion, the dial head 4.2 is withdrawn from the chamber 43. The ':key' '45, engaging the'left end debt 46, carries the shaft .35 with the pin 44 to the left, as thetdial head isiwithdr-awn, and so "the fingered is moved clear of the slotted. block 36. Next,.;the dialheadis ro'tated,.to move the finger 40 into alignment with .any othersoi the slots 47, and then the dial F'head "is'thrust back into the chamber 43, the spring 41. fforcing the shaft? 35 to the right andcausing the finger 40 to seat in .theselectedslot'.- 47. I As indicated Fig. X, the .dialhead maytbeprovided with akey socket 48,:sorthat a specialized key is required .to permit the" combination-changing manipulation. Additionally, the wallfnof the. chamber 43"may comprise xra .nu'mb'eredii-rlial if'ig. X) and the dial headinay includeanaindex, "to assist the attendant changing the coi'nbi 1 to'give access to the dial head 42.

nation, and in ascertaining, by aspredetermine'd. correlation betweenrjthetdial':numbers (1-12 in this case) what the combination; of ithe lockf is at any time. .Advantageousl nia cover plate 49 is mbDdlediIlithE frontal platez Offitl'ie lock, and is slidable 'in'a Way:.50,.(Figs.rII and Normally, the covei iplateloverlies or closes the a the lock. The arm 51 is connectedpivotally at one end to aim; 52'whichzisintegrated with the plate and projected-through a slot 53 in the frontal wall of housing 1. The opposite end of arm 51jis joined, by a slot-and-pin connection,-

withthe distal end of a lever'54'adapted to swing upon a fixed axis 55. 'A key-hole: 56 'a'nda keysocket 57 are provided .for" the reception of a master key, and any convenientmeans' may beincluded in the key-socket, to prevent rotation of all but the properly designed" and intended key from turningefiectively. As a simplified example, the key-socket mayic'omprise a flange 58' which is'notched along its edge, requiring that the key be correspondingly notched or grooved, to"

permit its counterclockwise rotation. The lever 54 includes an end portion 54a, and, upon turning the proper key counterclockwise in the'key-socket 57, the lever portion 54a is engaged by-the blade of the key, and the lever 54 is swung clockwise.

In consequence, the arm-51isswung and drawn downward, effecting-the movement of the cover plate 49- away from the entrance to chamber 43. Advantageously,.the'lock bolt 3 may be equipped withailaterally projecting pin 59, so that the master key may also be effective to withdraw the 'stem' 33, to the end that minute adjustment of such plates may be made with respect to the plates 21, 210.- Each of plates '24:, 240 includes a rigid .lug orarm '60, and the yoke 61 embracing theblock 38 on the stem is securedto thearm 60 "by means of an opposed pair of adjustable screws 62, 62. As in the structure already described, the yoke is united tothe block 38 by means of a pin-and-slot connection (63), and clearly the screws 62, 62 admit of minute angularadjustments of the plates .24, 240 with respect to the plates 21, 210 i'ntheir normal or dormant positions, such adjustments being sometimes desirable, to establish exact correlation'of the parts. l

Turning now to a detailed consideration of the push-button structure and operation, attention is directed to Fig. XI. Each push-button comprises a sleeve 64iwhich extends through the walllwof. the housing 1; the sleeve 64 is pro- .vided with a flange 65, .to limit outward move-' mentthroughwall 1a, and a cap 66 is secured (by spot-welding, or by threadedunionl' to the outer tipof the sleeve; and the peripheral edge 66d of the cap affords a stop for limiting inward movement of the sleeve when the button structure is depressed by the user. A pin 67 extends with sliding fit into the bore of sleeve 64, and the pin includes a flat, circular head 68, between which head and the flange .65 on the sleeve 64a;

compression spring 69 is effective. a

The push-button shown in Fig. XI is the pushbutton of group-S, bearing the character A, and, as has been already mentioned, in thiscase the push-button A is ,theonly push-button of group S, which is aligned with aplunger in the plate 240. Accordingly, the depression of such pushbutton is adapted to effect union of the plates 210, 240 for lock operation. As Fig. XI indicates,

.the plungers 250 each comprises a shank to which the reference character 250a is immediate- 1y applied. A fiat circular head '71 is provided at-one end of the shank, and a tip member '72 at the opposite end. The head 71 is coextensive in plan with the head 68 on the push-button pin 67, and the tip member 72 is of greater diameterjthan the stem 250a, providing a shoulderwhich normally engages an abutment '73 in the plate 240. A compression spring '74 is mounted upon the stem 250a in a recess '70 in the plate 240; the spring 74 at one end bears against the wall of the recess and at the other end against to the turning of the door knob, and the lock 'bolt 31can not bewithdr'awn. When, however, the push-button A is depressed, the spring 69 dominates the spring 74,..and forcesthe plunger stem 250a to the left, whereby the tip member .72 extends into the orifice 2200, in the plate 210. Thus, so long as the push-button A is depressed, the two plates 210, 240 are interlocked for joint movement. By conjointly depressing the appropriate button in group'R, the plates 21, 24 are similarly united, and the lock structure becomes responsive to, the door knob 8, as explained above.

Fig. XII illustrates the position ofthe parts when the push-button A is depressed, and shows how the plunger tip member '72 affords an interlocking of the plates210, 240.for.joint angular movement upon the pin 200 (Fig. VI). In this case, all the push-buttons in group S, save the push-button A, are out. of registry with their associated plungers 250, and. Fig. XIII shows, for example, the push-button B. It will be observed that the. head 68 of this push-button engages in part the head of the plunger 250 and in part the face of the plate 240, whereby, while the pushbutton B may be depressed against the resistance of spring69, its plunger 250 remains stationary,- affording no interlocking of the plates 210, 240. So it iswith all the push-buttons in groups 'R and S, excepting the two lock combination buttons 1 and A.

It will be understood that the structure of the push-buttons collectively is such that the plate 240 (and 24) may be shifted. angularly in the plane of its expanse. As stated, the outer face of head '71 of each plunger 250 lies normally in common plane with the free or right-hand face (Figs. XI-XIII) of the plate 240, so that, as the plate moves, the heads 68 of the push-buttons ride the plane surface providedby the face of the plate, together with the outer faces of the plunger heads '71 embodied in the plate. Thus,

the push-button structures admit of the swinging of the plates 21, 24 and 210, 240 during lock operation; and permit of the adjustment of the plates 24, 240, to change the combination of the lock in the manner already described. It may be remarkedthatthe dimensions of the recesses 70 in the plates 24, 240 are such that, when the combination push-buttons are depressed (in this case the buttons 1 and A), there is sufficient clearance between the side walls'of therecesses and the edges of the heads 68 located therein (Fig. XII), to permit adequate lock-operating swinging of the plates.- p

It is common in lock construction tohave the inner door knob (the knob 7 in this case) adapted to open the look without need of a key or other lock-opening means. 'In accordance with such common practice, I mount the door knob 7 idly upon the lock shaft 9 (Figs. VI and XIV),

and connect an arm to the knob, by any suitable means such as a sleeve 181. Thus, by turning the inner door knob 7, the arm 180 engages the pin 17 in the lock bolt 3,and withdraws the bolt independently, of the combination lock mechanism.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a lock structure, the combination of a lock bolt, means for shifting said bolt from looking to releasing position, a handle, operating mechanism connected to said handle, a plurality of movable buttons, and means responsive to the movement of at least one of said buttons for uniting said mechanism with said bolt-shifting means, whereby. said bolt becomes responsive to the movement of "said handle.

2. In a lock structure, the'combination of a lock bolt, means connected to said bolt and in response to whose movement said bolt moves, mechanism for moving said means, which mechanism is normally movable independently of said means, a plurality of movable buttons, means responsive to the movement of several of said buttons for temporarily uniting said first-mentioned means and said mechanism. 3. In a lock structure, the combinationof a lock bolt and a handle, mechanism for moving said bolt including a swingable member, means normally disengaged operatively from said member and movable in response to the movement of said handle, and a plurality of button structures, in response to the shifting of a predetermined combination. of which button structures said member and said means are interengaged for lock operation.

4. In a lock structure, the combination of a lock bolt and a handle, mechanism for moving said bolt including a plurality :of swingable members, means normally disengaged operatively from said members, and a plurality of button structures, in response to the shifting of a predetermined combination of which button structures said swingable members are rendered effective with said mechanism and said means for lock operation.

. 5. In a lock structure, the combination of a lock bolt and a handle, mechanism including two pairs of members, the. one member of each pair being normally disengaged 'from its companion member, and a plurality of buttons, means movable in response to the shifting of a predetermined combination "of said buttons for temporarily interengaging the members of each of .said pairs, and. .means connected to said handle and adapted upon said interengagement of said members to move said bolt in to movement of said handle.

6. A combination lock includingtwo members adapted to be united :for lock operation, means for uniting said members, which means comprise a movable button, a spring for holding said button in a normal position, a spring-backed plunger adapted for registry. with said button, said plunger being movable in response to the movement of saidfibutton from normal position and adapted to unite .said two members for joint movement Y 7. A combination lock including two members adapted to be united for lock operation, means for uniting said members including a springbacked button and a spring-backed plunger, said plunger being normally adjustable laterally of said button, and, when aligned therewith, said plunger yielding to the depression of said button to efiect the uniting of said members.

8. A combination lock including two members adapted to be united for lock operation, one of said membersincluding a group of plungers spaced-apart in the plane of its. expanse and movable transversely thereof, a group of buttons,-at least one of said buttons being adapted for registry with one of said plungers, whereby, upon manipulation-of such button, said plunger responds to effect union of said two members, said member including said group of plungers being normally adjustable relatively to said group of buttons for changing the button and plunger in registry.

9. A lock structure comprising a lock bolt,

response.

means for shifting said bolt from looking to releasing position, a handle, operating mechanism connected to said handle, a plurality of movable buttons, means responsive to the movement of at least one of said buttons for uniting said mechanism with said bolt-shifting means when said last-mentioned means are in idle or normal position, whereby the bolt becomes responsive to the movement of said handle, an adjustable element movable with the united bolt-shifting means and operating mechanism, the adjustment of said element determining the idle or normal position of said bolt-shifting means, and means for adjusting said element for altering the idle or normal position of said boltshifting means, and thereby changing the button which is instrumental in uniting the boltshifting means with said mechanism. I

10.- In a lock structure, a lock bolt, means for shifting said bolt, a movable member nor mally disengaged from said bolt-shifting means, a handle, connections from said handle to said movable member, adjustable means for determining the idle position of said movable member relatively to said bolt-shifting means, and a group of push-buttons, the selective depressing of which push-buttons is adapted to unite said movable member with said bolt-shifting means, and the proper selection of push-buttons being dependent upon the adjusted idle position of said movable member.

HENRY F. TEICHMANN. 

